The ability for a centralized decision maker (end-user) to set up programs including the provision of approved products or specifications usable by its related sub-users (sub-end-users) requires an end-user to make such approval and then to transmit the approved product information to its sub-end-users. Programs of this type are often set up in situations between a franchisor, a parent company, or company central office and its franchisee(s), dealer(s), or regional offices(s).
A common situation where a program is defined by an end-user for use by its sub-end-users is one that requires approved product information for marketing purposes. In this case, product or product information specifications may be set out or approved by an end-user from which any of its sub-end-users may select. For example, approved graphics or graphic information may be displayed by an end-user or transmitted to its sub-end-users so that the sub-end-user can select the graphic products that it would like to use in its business. Many types of companies have these types of marketing programs with its sub-end-users, such as fast food franchisees, car dealers and company regional offices. These programs may provide approved text, pictures, colors, logos, etc. and any combination thereof, as the product or product information that a sub-end-user may use for the benefit of the approving end-user. Moreover, such programs may also set out how such product is to be displayed or how it is to be constructed, including product specifications and materials, by or for the sub-end-user. Often, a third party manufacturer (that may also be selected by or approved by the end-user) will actually make such a product for the sub-end-user based upon the specifications of the end-user.
Typically, a marketing department of an end-user company will display or otherwise transmit the approved materials to its sub-end-users. Intra-company networks or any public or private internet are know to be usable for such information transmission. This action may also be facilitated by a third party, such as a product manufacturer or a material supplier that shows approved graphics, for example, to a sub-end-user. Such a third party would be motivated to do so on the potential benefit of selling its services or materials in making the product. However, without access of a third party to internal communication means of a company, it is difficult to be an effective part of their program. Furthermore, even with the approval of the end-user as a service provider or material supplier, the sub-end-users are likely to be less influenced by the third parties marketing efforts. To effectively do so, such a third party would need to not only market its services or materials to the end-user, they would also need to make specific marketing efforts to each sub-end-user. Conventionally, this means having a sales/marketing representative visit each potential end-user and sub-end-user.
The “world wide web” of the “internet” has become more recently utilized as a means to permit approved materials to be transmitted from an end-user to its sub-end-users. One known technique is for a company to display its approved product information on a web page accessed through the internet so that its sub-end-users can see their choices of approved products. A web page may be provided by the company itself, such as on its publicly viewable web page. Alternatively, a web page may be provided by a third party web provider or software group that sells such a consulting service to end-users and may also show the end-user how it can display its product information to be viewed by others including its sub-end-users. A company a consulting service as part of corporate identity programs is Monigle Associates, Inc. of Denver, Colo.
Another web-based solution that is known is that where a contract service is provided to an end user. For example, a company may contract with a service provider or web host in order to facilitate the access by sub-end-users to end-user approved product information.